Startin’ off this hip hop update with a lil’ message from GemStones that summarizes the change that has enveloped the artist in the past couple years. I definitely admire his admission to his past and his willingness to move forward and spread positive messages. He says ‘09 is his year so I’d expect some major mixtapes and Troubles Of The World very soon! Down below, some solid hip hop featuring Lil’ Wayne, Twista’s sick verse on the lil’ Swagga Like Us remake, and from Chicago’s Mikkey Halsted & GLC! Definitely some MUST-see videos including the latest episode of ConsTV and the “Crash Dummie” video premiere, that could be unofficial, yet is a great look for up and coming FNFers He Say, She Say! (Shouts 2 Sean). Enjoy!
Check out this HQ live performance video from Kanye West performing “Heartless” out in London! The clarity both visually and from Kanye are on point and I can’t wait 2 see one of the best live performers ever again in concert after watching that. Down below, another video featuring Kanye West and video premieres from Chicago’s Mikkey Halsted, Rihanna & Justin Timberlake (you’ll enjoy that one B. Mo), and Wyclef Jean & Will.I.Am! Enjoy!
Evolution 101 f/ Mr. West
Mikkey Halsted “Liquor Store”
VIDEO PREMIERE!
Rihanna “Rehab” f/ Justin Timberlake
VIDEO PREMIERE!
Wyclef Jean “Touch Your Button (Carnival Jam)” f/ Will.I.Am & Melissa Jimenez
Thanks for bearin’ w/ me the past day or so w/ NEW trax that I got for ya here, starting off with a nice lyrical track from Jay Electronica and producer Just Blaze! They compliment each other really nicely as the beat does not overshadow Jay Electronica’s voice and lyrics, but rather enhances the power of them. Obama and social issues are quite the discussion in many of the trax in the post, including Jay’s up above, as well as the trax from Nas, Q-Tip, Busta, Jake One, Mikkey Halsted, & R&B’s Ray Lavender. In addition, Ne-Yo comes thru w/ a nice slow jam called “Piano” and Young Jeezy & Nas perform “My President Is Black” on Carson Daly! Still so excited about last nite and it’s starting 2 set in! For more Obama, including the updated FULL video of his victory speech last nite, CLICK HERE! Anyway, enjoy!
Definitely the busiest weekend in awhile for me (and I’ll eventually have a post dedicated to a part of the reason why.. stay tuned) so allow me 2 catch up and post some loose ends from the weekend. We’ll start with some heavy heat from the Chi, with the video premiere of the summer smash “Universal Mind Control” by Common f/ Pharrell. As is the song, the video has a very futuristic, predominantly bright white setting and makes for quite the unique watch compared 2 ur everyday video. Hopin’ for more news on Common’s album soon; can’t wait! Down below, the first 2 trax are “Swagga Like Us” RMXs featuring a bevy of Chicago artists. I like Mikkey Halsted’s verse on the “Swagga Like Chi” version the most, but our boy S-Preme steals the show with his 3rd verse in “The Super Duper Song”. Try if you can catch every Chicago rapper he gives love 2 with his clever play on all of their names. Straight up ridiculous. And finally, we got some NEW Ludacris & T-Pain and R&B f/ Sterling Simms, Avant, Christina Milian, & Casely as well as Lupe Fiasco talking 2 MTV. Enjoy!
I’d also suggest the illVibes Love Lockdown RMX called “Love Rolex” for a nice change of pace on the original. Big ups 2 illVibes for the love as well.
FULL, CDQ, Bonus track off upcoming album, Year Of The Gentleman *Tibs Fav.™
Miss Independent Pt. 2! I heard that Jamie Foxx was goin’ 2 be on the official RMX, but wasn’t expecting Fab as well. It’s a solid track, yet the original is where it’s at. Foxx and the new beat are decent at best (altho Foxx has some nice lines) but Ne-Yo and Fab kill their verses and make the song. I like how it’s an extension of the original and from what I can dig up, it’ll be a U.K. bonus track for Year Of The Gentleman, which hits stores real soon in the U.S. on September 16th! Down below a few trax and a Mikkey Halsted mixtape (via Andrew) but I should also draw attention 2 Stat Quo yet again with Pt. 2 of “Dear Summer”. He goes fully in depth about how Shady and Aftermath have been screwin’ him, gettin’ undermined by Dre & Em even tho he still loves them, and even expresses condolences for both of the artists’ recent problems (Dre’s son passing and Em getting real sick from pneumonia). It’s a great lyrical track for Stat, yet his flow coulda been better at times. Still a MUST-DL for the hip hop fans. Finally, in some Kanye West news, he plans 2 reveal his 4th album’s details at the VMAs on Sunday as he is also expected to close the show (maybe with “Love Lockdown”?)! Can’t wait. Enjoy!
Here comes The Cool Kids w/ some more unreleased material, not unlike their previous songs w/ that fresh style, beats, and lyrics that make the duo unique. The unique, fresh lyrics are really on showcase in the first of the 2 tracks, where I was still tryin’ 2 catch up 2 the slow flow 2 understand the quirky message they were spittin’. DL those above and check out an extended video of Kanye West previewing that NEW track from last nite’s update, where either him or his band mate mess it up so they launch into “Gold Digger”, haha. Also videos featuring Mikkey Halsted & Young Jeezy can be seen below. Enjoy!
“Green Light” is another single that I’m really feelin’ @ the moment and above is the video premiere of the John Legend / Andre 3000 collabo! It’s a fun video that matches the fun song (complete with an intro and outro and an Estelle cameo) and it gets a lil colorful and crazy when 3000’s verse begins, quite appropriately I mite add. Def worth watchin’ all the way thru b/c the outro features a lil’ snippet of a JL song I haven’t heard of (presumably another song off the upcoming album, Evolver, which is due in stores October 28th!) as well as a very comedic ending featuring Legend & 3000! After u peek @ that, check out some trax below, including 2 NEW Akon features w/ my girl Keri Hilson & The Game! A New York DJ by the name of Rob Low sent us over his Throwback RMX of Jay-Z’s “Jockin’ Jay-Z” and I love what he did w/ that beat (still iffy on Jay tho in general) so I’m pretty sure all u Hov fans will enjoy that unofficial RMX! There’s also the latest from Young Jeezy, Fabolous, Saigon, & Chi-Town’s Mikkey Halsted & GLC! Enjoy!
(zShare is down @ the moment of this post.. so the links below are Mediafire. We’ll see how temporary zShare is unavailable so just hang tight for the moment..)
Back from work and here w/ a large update featuring a boatload of trax-n-vids! The feature track coming from the Mountain Dew-led campaign via Green Label Sound, who will be releasing trax from up and comers like The Cool Kids exclusively on their website for free. More artists will soon be announced and there will also be a coinciding promotional tour featuring the artists. The project sounds very interesting w/ The Cool Kids comin’ thru w/ another solid banger, featuring some clever wordplay! A few notes on the updates below… Naledge & Lupe each had their own version of “Mean & Vicious” and I think the rare mixtape trax have been molded 2gether into 1 track, which u can DL below! Lupe’s 2nd verse remains one of my all-time favorites, so if u don’t yet have “Mean & Vicious”, u GOT 2 DL the version below! A few more thoughts, not 100 pct. positive that’s indeed Bobby V and/or Timbaland on the snippet at the bottom of the update, but its credited 2 them, so we’ll go w/ it, and finally check out the funny video trailer from our man Chip Tha Ripper, promoting his NEW mixtape coming soon and I get ya caught up on The Game Vs. Bow Wow…. in Madden, haha! (Big ups 2 BOBO, Kev, & Paul S. for the e-mails… check out the flyer at the bottom for a casting call if ur an UPCOMING MC!) Enjoy!
FULL, CDQ, Track off upcoming album, First Love*Tibs Fav.™
Large update, starting with another nice track from up and comer R&B singer Karina Pasian! It’s a slow jam that should be on her upcoming album of the same name, in stores August 19th! More trax below feature a pretty sick beat by The Underdogs, a nice Chris Brown feature, & Mikkey Halsted ripping thru one of my all-time favorite beats (Mobb Deep - “Shook Ones Pt. 2″). Finally, a ton of videos for u 2 look at, including behind the scenes looks at music videos from CRS, Lupe Fiasco, & T.I., and a bunch of Rock The Bells interviews with all the various artists on the bill. Enjoy!
More from the vault as another Prolyfic-produced Lupe track hits the web above with “U Don’t Know”. Truthfully, this is nothing more than a solid track OVERALL since I’m really not feelin’ the beat and the guy screaming on the chorus, but Lupe brings it as usual and it’s worth the DL 2 hear his rhymes alone. The track I’m really feelin’ 2day is by another Chicago cat - Yung Berg - as he comes thru with a song that I feel could be a hit. It’s produced by Boogz (shouts for a few of the trax) & DJ Chase and features the lovely Amerie on the hook. While Amerie carries the song with her strong vocals, YB also follows thru with the sick, twisted Chicago flow, that I feel he lacks sometimes in other trax. I hope this song blows up (CDQ version also.. poor versions are elsewhere) and it’s definitely one worth DLing. There’s plenty more trax below with Ne-Yo’s “It’s You” deserving some words. It’s over the wonderful Usher “Will Work For Love” beat (the hidden track on Here I Stand) and while Usher’s version is better and illustrates the difference in their voices, Ne-Yo’s is still a quality one, with the lyrics standing out above all. Don’t forget 2 peep the videos as well with some interesting ones f/ Ludacris, & Jay Electronica! Enjoy!
GemStones “Free Chilly” [Trailer] - MORE
